Bikes on Trains

[Baldy]

On Scotrail you have to pre-book but you can't book your bike on on-line you have go into the ticket office in person.

 

[BrumJim]

On Scotrail you have to pre-book but you can't book your bike on on-line you have go into the ticket office in person.

This is hopefully where the changes will make an improvement. Rather than a whole plethora of different rules and processes are currently used for booking bikes on trains, GBR will be doing this bit, and it will be common across the country.

What won't change, certainly in the short and medium term, is that the same trains will be used with the same bike storage capacity, good, bad or terrible.

There is a capacity to change this, mandating that trains have a minimum specification of storage, although:
a) someone has to pay for it, and it is either a government who also builds hospitals, or the fare-paying passenger
b) on some trains it might not be economically possible.

 

[annedonnelly]

Northern are hopeless, two bikes only and no pre booking so it's pot luck whether you can get on but if you do and have not bought a ticket in case you cannot you get fined. Conclusion do not bother considering to use the train.

Northern up here are fantastic, with bikes, & in general. One conductor told me he managed to squeeze 14 on the cross country route to Carlisle.

And, on a purley personal note, when I got on a train last week for the first time since September, the conductor said "Oh, I've been thinking about you this week & wondering if you'd be coming back". That is personal service!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Here in Washington DC we can roll ‘em right onto the Metro for stops in Maryland, DC and Virginia. Or 2 bikes can ride on the front of any of our Metro buses. Pre-pandemic I would put my bike on the front of a bus to get into work and ride it home. This is my 1998 Bianchi Ocelot taking a ride on an empty Metro.

View attachment 590669

Local trains are rarely an issue with a bike apart from certain “rush hour” times when bikes are banned. It’s the long distance trains and bikes that suck with ridiculous hooks and narrow cabinets being their idea of transport progress.

 

[Mike_P]

I think that's what it means anyway.

Yes, sorry bit of a mind blowing morning work wise with management who are completely inept IMO

 

[Blue Hills]

Northern up here are fantastic, with bikes, & in general. One conductor told me he managed to squeeze 14 on the cross country route to Carlisle.

And, on a purley personal note, when I got on a train last week for the first time since September, the conductor said "Oh, I've been thinking about you this week & wondering if you'd be coming back". That is personal service!

somewhat surprised that you say fantastic "in general" in view of the long-lasting service meltdown, but agree on bikes - I can't help wondering if @Mike_P ever uses his bike on his northern trains at all, or has - so yep - my experience is that they are all fine and easygoing and northern. Outside peak hours of course. Chill a bit mike - and take a trip with the bike on the wonder that is the settle carlisle line.

 

[PaulSB]

I'd agree on Northern and Transpennine Express, both provide a very good bike service. I used to commute in to Manchester using bike and train on both services without problems and never with a bike reservation.

The only real problem I encountered was the passengers who refused to move from the folding seats in the bike area. Their selfish attitude caused difficulty for me and other passengers. The solution was to stand with the bike between me and the area with the chain facing away from me. 🤭

Virgin on the other hand are appalling if you don't pre-book. Excellent if you have booked.

 

[annedonnelly]

somewhat surprised that you say fantastic "in general" in view of the long-lasting service meltdown, but agree on bikes ...

I guess I'm just referring to the staff I come into contact with - they're probably as frustrated as the passengers with service cuts, rolling stock issues, etc.

 

[Blue Hills]

I guess I'm just referring to the staff I come into contact with - they're probably as frustrated as the passengers with service cuts, rolling stock issues, etc.

yes - mad crazy as i was at manchester picadilly a year or two ago with repeated cancelled trains, trains pulling in/announced and then cancelled after we had all piled in I felt for the staff on the platform - they were giving me false/dodgy information but clearly were being fed junk from above - no-one had a clue what was going on. I was actually with a bike - had chosen a mid afternoon off-peak train deliberately - it was cancelled - as were others - by the time I squashed onto the still off-peak service with my bike it was packed solid like something from the third world.

edit on timing - must have been just after Boris's election win - I well remember telling some guy I was frottaging "never mind, it will all be better soon" - his reaction gave me the impression he had voted for the charlatan.

 

[kayakerles]

Local trains are rarely an issue with a bike apart from certain “rush hour” times when bikes are banned. It’s the long distance trains and bikes that suck with ridiculous hooks and narrow cabinets being their idea of transport progress.

Sounds like long distance rail/bike solutions have a way to go. I don't know if anyone over here in the states even takes their bikes around the country on trains. I think it's a VERY pricy proposition. Makes me wonder. We have Amtrak near us, but I haven't been on a long distance train here in the states since I was a kid. Hmmm... I'll have to look into it just out of curiosity.

If there are any other US peeps on here reading this, maybe you can shed some light on this as a state-side commentator.